Richard Hales / Blackbrick

Blackbrick Chinese is the newest restaurant in the growing Midtown Miami neighborhood from Richard Hales, the chef and owner of Sakaya Kitchen and Dim Ssäm à gogo. The restaurant serves classic Asian dishes with the distinctive twist that Hales has built his reputation on.

The food at Blackbrick is inspired by Hales’ Filipino, Irish and Italian heritage, along with his travels throughout Asia and his time spent in New York City’s Chinatown. He tells Chat Chow TV that his main goal of his restaurants is to bring good Asian cuisine to Florida.

He stresses that Chinese food should posses a whole palate of flavors — not just spicy and sweet — and that is what he tries to showcase in his cuisine. While his other restaurants are more fast casual, Blackbrick Chinese is a return to Hales’ roots offering full service and bar.

The menu offers an array of dishes from the classic egg rolls, dim sum, homemade noodle dishes, along with a newly launched brunch featuring breakfast fried rice, hot pockets, and fortune cookie waffles served with Korean fried chicken. For desserts, Hales enlists his wife to make homemade fortune cookies and pastries, served with a side of Azucar Ice Cream.

The funky interior, designed by Hales himself, showcases portraits of his heroes in Russian general attire, graffiti walls, and bright red light fixtures hanging from the ceilings. A nod to the fun, laid back vibe of the restaurant.

Wonder why the restaurant goes by Midtown Chinese? Or want to learn more about his chefs “Real Deal” and the “Chili Master?’ Watch the video above for all the delicious details.